jazz guitar chord positions

Here are 15 important jazz guitar chord positions that every beginning jazz guitar student must know. They are grouped into five families :

Major seventh chords (Maj7)

Minor seventh (m7)

Dominant 7th (7)

Half diminished / minor seventh flat fifth (m7b5)

Diminished 7th (dim7)

How Chords Are Built ?

Chords can be built with a root (1), a minor (b3) or a major third (3), a fifth which can be perfect (5), diminished (b5) or augmented (#5) and a seventh, which can be major (7), minor (b7) or diminished (bb7).

minor

major

perfect

diminished

augmented

Root

Third

O

O

Fifth

O

O

O

Seventh

O

O

O

Generally speaking, chords are constructed by stacking thirds (minor and major). Here is a summary chart about the construction of the main types of chords.

Minor seventh (m7)

1

b3

5

b7

Major seventh (M7)

1

3

5

7

Dominant seventh (7)

1

3

5

b7

Half diminished (m7b5)

1

b3

b5

b7

Diminished seventh (dim7)

1

b3

b5

bb7

You will find below 15 guitar fretboard diagrams with formula charts related to these chords. Three positions for each type of chord. One with the root on the sixth string, one with the root on the fifth and one with the root on the fourth string.